By REGINALD KANYANE
The Eskom Development Foundation will host the Provincial Eskom Simama Ranta School Entrepreneurship Competition Awards at Huhudi High School, near Vryburg on Tuesday at 1pm. Eskom’s North West Operating Unit in Corporate Affairs division spokesperson, Mosetsanagape Mahole said Eskom’s Simama Ranta Entrepreneurship Competition aims to strengthen the South African economy through effective in-school entrepreneurship education for the youth.
“The competition was initiated in 2010 to address South Africa’s number one challenge which is youth unemployment. Eskom’s partner in the delivery of Eskom’s Simama Ranta Entrepreneurship Education is an NGO called Education With Enterprise Trust (EWET).
“EWET has been working within the field of in-school entrepreneurship education since 1994. Unemployment in South Africa has risen from 4.5% in 1995 to a staggering 25% in 2010. The experts agree that to address this challenge, we need to grow small business. So, one way to do this is by developing a culture of entrepreneurship,” Mahole said.
She further said on a deeper level, it is crucial that entrepreneurship education is supported in order to ensure that the youth play a part in strengthening the country’s economy through entrepreneurship. Mahole added that the Eskom Development Foundation aims to encourage this through its Eskom Simama Ranta Entrepreneurship Education High School Competition.
“Simama Ranta means empowering the South African economy through entrepreneurship education. The competition aims to identify and showcase those South African secondary schools that are exemplars in entrepreneurship education. The competition encourages learners to consider entrepreneurship as a career choice, taking charge of their career path by becoming job creators rather than job seekers.
“The EWET organisation has also devoted its knowledge, skills and talent to enhance enterprise education in high schools over a number of years. The initiative works in over 800 schools throughout South Africa, empowering educators to promote entrepreneurship and enhance teaching and learning in economic and management sciences,” Mahole said.
The competition is judged by a diverse panel representing the Basic Education department, the private sector, as well as experts in entrepreneurship education.
The Guardian 